The 50 most interesting players in European hoops: Nos. 30-21

30. Drew Gordon, PF, Zenit St. Petersburg

Victor Rudd of Maccabi Tel Aviv is the Euroleague dunk champion, but Drew Gordon — the brother of the Magic’s Aaron Gordon — definitely is king of Eurocup. The 6-foot-9 power forward is a fantastic athlete, and while it never really materialized in an NBA tryout with the 76ers, he’s found a role as a high-flying flexible post player in Europe. He has developed a nice post game that utilizes his strength and length combination well, and he’s a weapon as both a passer and weakside shot blocker.

This year will be a bigger challenge for Gordon, as he moves from Leituvos Rytas in Lithuania to Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia. His fourth European season will be for his most high-profile team, and he’ll have an integral part on what should be an absolutely lethal Zenit offense. Zenit has a bounty of shooters, from former NBA players Sergey Karasev and Shayne Whittington to Euro staples Kyle Kuric and Marko Simonovic. What they need is someone to bang with opposing big men and save their butts on defense, and that’ll be Gordon’s role. If he’s ready for it, and performs well, this season should launch him into a solid Euroleague role.